Study of sputum level of interleukin-8 in COPD patients

The present study was conducted to assess the characteristics of airway inflammation in patients with COPD by measuring the sputum level of IL-8. Eighty subjects were included in this study. 40 patients with COPD, 30 patients with bronchial asthma and 10 healthy control. All of studied groups were subjected to full history, ventilatory pulmonary function tests and measurement of IL-8 in sputum supernant by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]. The study elucidated significant higher level of IL-8 in COPD patients than in bronchial asthma patients or in the control subjects. There was significant negative correlation between sputum level of IL-8 and pulmonary function parameters. Also it was found that EFV1% was the only parameter of pulmonary function test which could significantly predict the sputum level of IL-8. It is concluded that IL-8 may serve as a marker in evaluation of the severity of airway inflammation and its sputum level was closely related to the severity of airway obstruction in COPD patients

Pulmonary function tests in children with sickle cell disease

Acute and chronic pulmonary complications in adult patients with sickle cell disease [SCD] have been reported in several studies. The aim of this study was to determine the various patterns of pulmonary functions in children with SCD. Twenty four patients with homozygous Hb SS SCD aged from 8 to 15 years were evaluated for lung functions using maximal expiratory flow volume curves obtained by a forced expiratory maneuver. Each patient was assigned to one of three patterns of lung functions [normal, obstructive or restrictive]. Airway hyper responsiveness was evaluated by means of a trial with a bronchodilator. Normal patterns were detected in 45.8% of the patients, obstructive pattern in 33.3% and restrictive pattern in 21.2%. Total serum iron and serum ferritin were significantly higher in patients with obstructive lung pattern than in those with normal lung function. History of acute chest syndrome was significantly higher in patients with obstructive and restrictive lung patterns than in patients with normal lung functions. Longterm blood transfusion was significantly more common in patients with obstructive lung pattern in comparison to the normal group. A positive response to the bronchodilator was observed in about 42% of the whole group and in 87.5% in patients with obstructive lung pattern. In conclusion, pulmonary dysfunction is common in children with Hb SS SCD, LAO being more common than restrictive pattern, careful observation of total serum iron and the proper use of chelation therapy is needed to reduce the incidence of pulmonary dysfunction

Effect of chronic hypoxia and hypercapnea on the nervous system: visual and auditory brainstem evoked potentials in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

We aimed at studying the effect of the pathophysiological changes associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] on the nervous system and its aetiopathogenesis using the pattern shift visual evoked potentials [PSVEPs] and the brainstem auditory evoked potentials [BAEPs]. There are still great controversies between different studies that assessed cranial nerves and central nervous system functions in COPD patients using different neurophysiological techniques. In addition, those who reported abnormalities did not find any correlation between their findings and the pulmonary functions and arterial blood gas measurements. Design and methods: Participants consisted of 35 COPD male patients. Sixteen patients diagnosed as stable at risk or mild COPD and 19 patients diagnosed as stable moderate or severe COPD were included in the study as group I and II respectively. In addition, 20 age- and sex- matched healthy individuals were included in this study as a control group [group III]. We performed pulmonary function tests, arterial blood gas analysis, audiogram, auditory brainstem evoked responses [ABR] and visual evoked potentials [VEP] for all patients and controls. All patients in group I had normal BAEPs. Conversely, all patients in group II had abnormal BAEPs studies. All of them had significantly delayed wave I, III and V absolute latencies. However, 11 [58%] patients had significantly delayed IPLs III-V and I-V. There were significant negative correlations between PaO2 and wave I peak latency [p< 0.05]. There were also significant positive correlations between PaCO2 and wave V peak latency, I-V and III-V interpeak latencies [P< 0.01]. Lastly, there was a significant correlation between the Forced Expiratory Flow [FEF25-75%] and all BAEPs abnormalities. VEP study showed that the P100 was mildly but insignificantly delayed in group II. The function of the eighth nerve and the brainstem were highly abnormal in moderate and severe COPD. We also found that the impairment of the eighth nerve is mostly due to hypoxia and the impairment of the brainstem is mostly due to hypercapnea. Finally, our results have shown that the nervous system function could also be impaired in COPD through other mechanisms rather than hypoxia and hypercapnea